Strictly FX, a US-based production company, created the stunning effects for the recent Spice Girls’ ‘Spice World’ tour, 24th May-15th June.
First receiving the call last December, the team set to work to produce a show that would not disappoint. Using FX such as large-scale pyrotechnics, fireworks and custom powerfetti, the production company dug deep into its arsenal of special FX to deliver a show that, by its nostalgic nature, needed to meet very high expectations.
Ron Bleggi, the account manager and FX designer for the tour, described the brief he and his team were given: “They didn’t want us to come along and just blow things up; we were needed to help the girls tell a story with their show.”
The creative director for the Spice World tour, Lee Lodge, had several requirements for the Strictly FX team. Ron continued: “The biggest challenge was producing the huge scale of FX that Lee was looking for, but still allowing the audience to have an up-close-and-personal show.
Understandably, the opening number, Spice Up Your Life, needed to be as spectacular as possible, however, it was not without its trials.
“The challenge with opening the show like that is that it was still daylight out, which isn’t great for pyro. We tested multiple FX until we found what would work best in daylight.”
The team’s appeal to the Spice Girls’ tour was an obvious one, having already delivered a plethora of phenomenal, world-class productions including Panic at the Disco’s ‘Pray for the Wicked’ tour, Coldplay’s ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ tour and Justin Bieber’s ‘Purpose World’ tour.
Other FX that the production team can offer include, flames, cryogenics, lasers and ‘mischief’ (LED, balloons, flaming metal sculptures – you name it!)
Crew members that worked on the tour alongside Ron included Tony Alaimo, Brien Carpenter, David Yarbrough, Alec Lopez, Ash Neal and Josh Jackson.
This content is sponsored by Strictly FX.